Wall panel structure



Feb. 27, 1962 J. RADEK WALL PANEL STRUCTURE Filed Sept. 3, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 27, .1962

Filed sept. a, 1957 J. RADEK WALL PANEL STRUCTURE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 I safari 'J5/n /dde/:

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Feb. 27, 1962 J. RADEK 3,022,869

wALL PANEL STRUCTURE Filed Sept. 5, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Feb. 27, 1962 J. RADEK WALL PANEL STRUCTURE 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Z0 l l D rfzeg.

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Filed Sept. 5, 1957 ilniteoi States listens' 3,022,869 WALL PANEL STRUSTURE John Radek, Ready Metai Manufacturing Company, 4320 S. Knox Ave., Chicago, lil. Filed Sept. 3, 1957, Ser. No. 631,535 v Ciaims. (Cl. lS9-34) This invention relates to a metal wall panel structure, and in particular it relates to apparatus for detachably securing metal wall panels to a wall surface in order to provide a decorative facing.

In the interior finishing and remodeling of buildings, particularly for commercial use, it is highly advantageous to be able to fasten large size sheet metal panels into place on the walls quickly and easily, and to interchange panels from time to time when it is desirable to change the decorative appearance of a store or other commercial building.

In particular, some of the sheet metal panels which are covered with a vinyl skin provide excellent opportunities for decorative effects, since the vinyl skin can be prepared so as to simulate Wood grain, leather, or a variety of other surfaces.

The present invention contemplates a simple mechanism for securing large sheet metal panels, and particularly vinyl covered metal panels, to the existing finished wall structure of a building, or to the unfinished lath and furring strips.

The invention in its preferred form is particularly applicable to the remodeling and rearrangement of commercial buildings, such as retail stores, by securing the panels to structural mounting struts of a type which have already commonly been used for mounting display and storage shelves. Such struts are commercially available in any desired lengths, to run from tioor to ceiling of a room, and are provided with a line of vertically spaced, vertically extending slots which have heretofore been used to receive hook-like supporting members for display and storage shelves.

In accordance with the present invention, the metal wall panels are detachably secured to the same struts which are ordinarily used to support the shelving, by means of special clips which are secured to the strut members with hooks which engage the strut slots, and which in turn make resilient and detachable engagement with marginal attaching flanges of the sheet metal panels. The hooks for securing the clips to the struts act as spacers between adjacent panels, so that the struts may still be used in the conventional manner to support shelves on hooks which extend within the space between the panels and are engaged in strut slots which are not needed for the panel mounting.

In one modified construction, the spring clips are provided with holes to receive nails or screws by which they may be secured directly to wood furring strips, where the metal strut members are not used'.

Another modified construction is adapted for use with the supporting struts heretofore referred to, but the clip members have integral spring hooks to engage the slots in the struts, so that the upright margins of adjacent panel members may be abutted against one another to form a completely closed wall surface where shelving need not be mounted on the struts.

Yet another modification is adapted for use with metal furring strips having relatively wide slots which are so spacedthat the top and bottom of a clip member overlie portions of two vertically spaced slots so that integral, olset longitudinal attaching hook members at the two ends of a clip may be engaged behind the top and bottom margins of the slots with clearance at the sides oi the hooks to permit lateral adjustment of the clips on lthe metal furring strips.

This mounting is particularly advantageous in residential remodeling work, where it may be necessary to adjust the clips slightly to accommodate the panels after the furring strips are mounted on the wall.

In yet another modification, the panels are made in three parts, including a longitudinal marginal attaching member extending continuously from top to bottom of the panel and being provided with the marginal attaching flanges which engage the clips. Each longitudinal marginal attaching member is provided with crimped, double reversed bends which afford outwardly open jaws to frictionally receive the margins of panel body members. This construction permits great flexibility in arrangement, because the body members may then be constructed to fit into va corner between clips onA two adjacent walls, or may go around a corner to fit intersecting walls at a jog in a room, or may have suitably linturned margins for positioning adjacent window or door openings.

The metal panels with which the present mechanism is particularly adapted for use may be as large as 4' Wide by 8 or 10 high, so that a single panel extends from floor to ceiling of a room; and'v accordingly the panels require transverse bracing, or reinforcing ribs which prevent them from bending and buckling, and longitudinal reinforcement along the margins. Any suitable reinforcement may be secured by adhesive or by interengaging ears.

The invention is illustrated in preferred and alternative embodiments in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. l is a perspective vview of a group of wall panels secured to strut members, portions of two panels being broken away to show the location of one of the clips and associated hook by meansof which it is secured to the struts, and typical shelves being shown mounted on the strut members;

FIG. 2 is a section on an enlarged scale taken as indicated along the line 2 2 of FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the preferred form of clip;

FIG. 4 is a section taken as indicated along the line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5` is a perspective view of a rst modified form of clip assembled on a strut; v

FlG. 6 is an exploded view of the modified form of clip, hook and strut; j Y

FIG. 7 is a section taken as indicated along the line 7-7 of FIG. 5;.

FIG. 8 is a section taken as indicated' along the line 3 8 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the first modified form of clip adapted for attachment to wood;

FIG. 10 is a central longitudinal sectional view of a panel secured to a strut like the strut of FIG. l, by means of a second modified form of clip, said'section being taken substantially as illustrated along the line lil-lll of FIG. l1;

FlG. ll is a front elevational view of the structure of FIG. l0 with the upper halves of the panels broken away;

FIG. l2 is a trai'lsversesectional view taken as indicated along the line lZ-iZ of FIG. ll;

FIG. i3 is a rear perspective view of the second modified form of clip; i

FIG. 14 is a central longitudinal sectional view of a metal turring strip with a third modified form of clip attached thereto and supporting a panel, said view being taken substantially as indicated along the line lf3-I4 er FIG. 15;

FIG. l5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the .front spaanse t of the metal furring strip and clip of FlG. 14 with panels removed;

FIG. 16 is a fragmentary section taken as illustrated along the line 16-16 of FIG. 15, with the panels in place;

FIG. 17 is a front perspective view of the third modied form of clip;

PEG. 18 is a front elevational view of the third moditied form of clip adapted for attachment to wood, and attached to a wall supporting a modified form of panel, the upper portion of which is broken away in the view;

FIG. 19 is zit-fragmentary section taken as illustrated along the line 19-19 of FIG. 18;

FIG. 20 is a section similar to FIG. 19 showing a panel section which is constructed to iit in a corner;

FlG. 2l is a View similar to FIG. 19 showing a panel section which is adapted to extend around a corner where two walls intersect;

- FIG. 22 is a view similar-to FiG. 19, showing a section which is adapted for use adjacent a window or door opening; and s FIG. 23 is a perspective view of the clip seen in FIGS. 18 to 22.

Referring to the drawings in greater detail, and referring first to' FIGS. l to 4, a preferred form of the present invention employs sheet metal wall panels, indicated generally at 15, which have a planar body portion 16, a rearwardly extending spacing portion 17 which runs continuously along each longitudinal margin of the panel, and inwardly extending attaching flanges 1S which are parallel to the body panel. The sheet metal panels are conveniently about 4 wide, and may be produced in any length needed to lill a room of desired height from floor to ceiling. For particular decorative effects, the sheet metal panel may be provided with a vinyl plastic skin which extends continuously over the planar body 16, spacing portions 17 and attaching flanges 1S.

The preferred components for securing the sheet metal panels to the walls of an existing room are hollow metal strut members, indicated generally at 19, each of which has a front wall, a side wall and a rear wallnumbered, respectively 20, 21 and 22, and an open side formed by a pair of inwardly bent, spaced flange portions 23 and 24. The front face of each strut member has a series of vertically extending, vertically oriented slots 25 which are positioned on its longitudinal center line.

The struts 19 may be secured in any desired fashion, either'directly upon the walls of a room or in spaced relation thereto. The latter arrangement is particularly advantageous for retail store constructions, where the strut members may be mounted 3 or 4' from'a wall and secured thereto by means or horizontal connecting brace members, or may be secured to the floor and ceiling; so that when the panels 15 are secured to the struts they form a concealed storage area between the panels and the wall of the room.

The means for securing the sheet metal panel 15 to the strut 19 consists of a clip member indicated generally at 26 and a hook member indicated generally at 27'. As best seen in FIG; 3, each of the clip members 26 has a generally planar base portion 28 which is provided with a central slot 29 of substantially the same dimensions as the slot 25 in the strut members 151. Aligned with the ends of the slot 29 is a pair of rearwardly convex deformed tensioning pieces 30. At the four corners of the base portion 28 are integral spring clips 31 which are formed by rolling the marginal portions of the base forwardly and in upon themselves to bring the extreme ends 32 of the rolled marginal portions against the base, and laterally a short distance outside the vertical margins of the base. This loop formation of the spring clips 31 provides arcuate camming surfaces 33 which are opposed to one another in the corresponding spring clips at each corner. Between the v spring clips 31 on each or' the longitudinal margins of the body member is a forwardly extending stop flange 34 which is seen in FIG. 2 to lie slightly to the inside of the end 32 of each of the spring clips 31.

As best seen in FIG. 4, each of the hook members 27 has an elongated spacer portion 35 of sheet material which is slightly thinner than the Width of a slot 25 in a strut member 19, so that a rearwardly extending hook portion 36 which has a downwardly projecting strut e11- gaging finger 37 spaced from the rear of the spacer portion 3S may engage the lower margin of a slot 25. The rearwardly convex tensioning piece 30 of the clip members 26 serve to take up any variations in the space between the finger portions 37 and the spacer portion 35 of each hook member, so as to provide a snug t between the hook and the strut and hold the clip member 26 firmly in place.

When a group of wall panels 1S is to be mounted on struts 19, several clips are hooked onto each strut in vertically spaced relationship, so that there may be four or ve clips on each strut. The attaching flanges of a panel 1S are then engaged with the spring clip portion 31 of the clip members 26 on two adjacent strut members 19, with the camming portions 33 of the spring clips acting to provide a snap engagement between the spring clips and the attaching flanges. Forwardly extending stop portions 3ftare so located with respect to the extreme ends 32 of the rolled spring clips 31 that the attaching flanges 18 of the panel cannot catch behind the ends 32,-' which would make it impossible to remove the panel.

As seen in lFIG. 2, the adjacent spacing portions of two adjacent panel members 15 flank the hooks 27 on a single strut member 19, and the space between the panels 15 is' ample to permit conventional shelf supporting members M for shelves S to be engaged with slots V25 in a strut 19 which -are not occupied by the clips 26 and hooks 27.

The modied form of the device illustrated in FIGS. S to 8 employs a strut member 19 which is identical with that previously described, and a hook member 427 which:- is also identical with that previously described. This'l form of the invention employs a clip member indicated generally at 126, which has a base portion 12S provided with a longitudinal slot 129. The two margins of the base portion 121% are bent forwardly and inwardly andE then curved outwardly to provide spring clip portions 131 the outer ends 132 of which are spaced forward fromthe base portion 128, and the arcuate area 133 formed by the forward and outward bend of each marginal portion pro-' vides a camming portion which is similar in shape and function to the camming portions of the spring clips 31. The shape of the spring clip portions 131 is such that they are not able to engage the attaching anges of the panels with as much strength as the spring clip portions 31 of the clips 26; but this disadvantage is offset by the fact that a panel member 15 cannot become caught on the spring clip.

The clip 226 illustrated in FG. 9 is similar to the clip 126, except that its Ibase portion 228 is provided with four small holes 223e adjacent its four corners to receive nailsby means of which it may be secured to a studding member S.

Referring now to iFIGS. l0 to 13, hollow metal strutt members 19 like those illustrated in FIGS. l to 8 are enf gaged by clip members 326 having planar base portions 32S which are slightly narrower than the base portions- 28 of the clip members 26; and the base portion 328 is provided with a pair of integral, vertically spaced spring hooks 329 which are struck rearwardly from the base por; tion 4and have oppositely offset detents 33t) to engage behind the top and bottom margins of a slot 2S in the strut 19, in the manner illustrated in FIGS. 10 and 12. Except for the above particularly described elements, theA clip members 326 are identical with the clip members`26, so that they may serve to support adjacent panels 15 in the same way as do the clips 26. The narrower base portions 328 of the clips 325 permit the rearwardly extend spaanse ing spacing portions 17 of two adjacent panels to be abutted as seen in FIGS. and 12.

The third modilied form of clip illustrated in FIGS. 14 to 17 is used with metal furring strips 415 which have marginal attaching ilanges 416 anking a forwardly otiset body portion 417 in which are slots 418 to receive clips indicated generally at 426.

The clips 426 are like the clips 26 except for Vtheir means of attachment to the `metal furring strips 415. As shown in the drawings, the slots 41S in the metal furring strips are relatively wide, and are so spaced that the upper end 427 of a clipmember 426 may overlie a portion of one slot 418, while the lower end 42d of the clip member overlies a portion of a slot 418 which is spaced below the iirst named slot. Each clip 426 is provided with an upper longitudinally extending rearwardly olset attaching hook 429, and a shorter longitudinally extending rearwardly oset lower fastening hook `431). As best seen in FIGS. 14 and 1'5, the upper attaching hook 429 may extend through a slot 418 to engage behind the upper margin of the slot, while the lower fastening hook 430 extends through a lower slot 41S and engages behind the lower margin of said slot. The dimensions of the spring clips 426, their upper and lower hooks 429 and 430, and the slots 418 is such that the upper hook 4129 may be inserted in a slot `418 and the clip 426 may be moved against the upper margin of the slot -to permit the lower end of hook 430 to pass through the lower slot 418 and be engaged with lthe lower margin of said lower slot by downward movement of the clip. As best seen in FIGS. and 16, the hooks 429 and 430 are considerably narrower than the lateral dimension of the slots 418, so that the clips 426 may be adjusted laterally on the metal furring strips -415 to compensate for any inaccuracy in mounting the metal furring strips 415 on an existing wall.

As seen in FIG. 16, the clips 426 engage marginal attaching ilanges 18 of panels 1S in the same manner as has been previously described with respect to the clips 26.

yReferring now to FIGS. 18 to 23, inclusive, a clip member 526 is similar to the clip member 326, in that it has a narrow base portion 528 so that the panels which are clipped to it have their adjacent spacing anges abutting one another. However, since the clip member 526 is intended for attachment to wood studding, it is provided at the four corners with laterally extending attaching ears 529 in which are nail or screw holes 530 by means of which the clip may be attached to wood studding S by nails 531. The principal subject of the modification illustrated in FIGS. 18 to 23 is in the panel means, here indicated generally by reference -numer-al 54?, which is made with separate longitudinal marginal attaching members 541, and panel body members 542 secured to the marginal attaching members. As best seen in FIGS. 19 to 22, the marginal attaching members 541 have a front strip portion 543 which is bent rearwardly to provide a spacing portion 544 which runs continuously along the longitudinal margin of the front strip portion 543, and there are inwardly extending attaching flanges 54S at the rear of the spacing portions.

The marginal attaching members 541 are precisely like the marginal portions of the one-piece panel means 15 seen in FIGS. l and 2. However, in order to provide for more flexible arrangements in remodeling than are possible with the one-piece panels 1S, in the present form the marginal attaching members 541 terminate about even with the attaching ears on the clip members and are provided with crimped double reversed bends 546 affording outwardly open, narrow iixed jaw members S47 in which the longitudinal margins of the panel body members 542 may be slidably and frictionally gripped.

The advantage of this construction is that it permits a variety of different types of body panel members to .tit various structural situations. 542 seen in FIG. 19 may extend straight across a rather wide area, in the same way as the one-piece panel means 6 15. As seen in FIG. 20, a body panel member 548 has" two legs 549 which are at right angles to each other so a's to tit into a corner and be gripped in the lixed jaws 5470i a pair of marginal attaching members 541 which are securld in clips 526 on the studding S of two adjacent wa s.

FIG. 21 illustrates a body panel member 55) which has a pair of legs 551 at right angles to one another so as to extend around a corner, rather than into a corner. In this case the marginal portions of the body panel member 551 are frictionally gripped in the fixed jaws 547 of a pair of marginal attaching members 54hl which are secured in clips 526 on the studding of two intersecting walls.

FIG. 22 illustrates a body panel member 552 which may be of any necessary width to extend from a marginal attaching member SLi-il to the molding M of ,a window or door opening. The body panel member 552 has its outer longitudinal portion turned rearwardly to provide a nishing flange 553, the rear margin of which may abut the molding at the'side of the door opening.

The detailed description of FIGS. 18 to 23 makes it apparent that this modification of the invention provides an arrangement which is readily adapted to home remodeling work, aud which affords great iiexibility of arrangement to meet practically every structural situation that may be found in a room.

The foregoing detailed description is given for clearness of understanding only and no unnecessary limitations are to be understood therefrom, as modifications will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

I claim:

l. Means for mounting one marginal portion of a metal wallpanel, comprising, in combination: a structural member having a row of vertically elongated and narrow aligned slots in its forward face; a one-piece clip member, said clip member having a generally planar base with a slot on its upright center line in register with a slot in the structural member, and said clip member having forwardly extending integral spring clips on its upright margins which are provided with opposed, inwardly facing, arcuate panel-engaging camming surfaces; and a narrow hook member which extends through the registering slots and has closely spaced downwardly extending hook elements engaging the lower margins of both said slots to detachably secure the clip to the strut, said hook member extending forwardly between the spring clips to provide a narrow, upright spacer on the center line of the clip.

2. In a metal panel wall construction, in combination: structural means; a plurality of one-piece clip members detachably secured to said structural means in laterally spaced vertical rows, each clip member having a generally planar base member, integral spring clip means on the lateral margins of said base, each said means forming an inwardly extending complete loop with the free end of the spring clip loop adjacent the base and facing laterally outwardly, the portions of said loops nearer the base defining flange receiving recesses therebehind and The body panel members the more forward portions of the loops forming carnrning surfaces to cam panel ilanges into said recesses, and vertically disposed integral stop means extending Aforward from each lateral margin of the base member, each stop means being in a plane which is inward from the free end of the spring clip loop on said margin; and a plurality of sheet metal panel members detachably supported on said rows of clip members, each of said panel members having a planar body, rearwardly extending spacing portions along its longitudinal margins which are perpendicular to said body, and inwardly extending attaching flanges parallel to said body, said anges being resiliently received in the ilange receiving recesses on two adjacent rows of clip members with the free edges of the lflanges inside the stop means on the clips to prevent said edges from locking behind the free ends of the loops, and the longitudinal spacing portions of two laterally adjacent panels being between the spring clips of each of the clip members in a row.

3. The device of claim 2 in which the structural means has parallel rows of narrow vertical slots, the base of each clip member has a long narrow slot midway between its lateral margins in register with a slot in the structural means, and a separate hook member is detachably engaged with the lower margins of the registering slots to secure the clip to the structural means.

4. The device of claim 2 in which the structural means has parallel rows of narrow slots, and each clip member has two integral rearwardly extending ngers, said ngers having opposed detents to engage opposite margins of a Slot in the structural means.

' 5. The device of claim 2 in which the structural means has rows of transverse slots arranged in pairs, and each clip has rearwardly offset longitudinally extending integral. linger portions at its top and bottom which are adapted ,to -sliclably engage behind the top of one slot and the bottom of the other slot of one of said pairs of slots in the structural means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 500,595 Moore July 4, 1893 1,180,797 Rees Apr. 25, 1916 2,047,572 Balch et al July 14, 1936 2,123,366 Kehr etal July l2, 1938 2,151,221 Meeker Mar. 21, 1939 2,312,673 Rizzolo Mar. 2, 1943 2,414,986 Tinnerman J an. 28, 1947 2,643,170 Vanderveld et al. June 23, 1953 2,766,855 Johnson et al. Oct. 16, 1956 2,881,877 Olsen Apr. 14, 1959 2,934,181 Weber et al. Apr. 26, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,065,839 France Ian. 13, 1954 

